Puppet Protagonists in Cars

You might think that there’s not much to celebrate at the end of April, but you’d be wrong. Apparently today is National Day of Puppetry, which is “associated with the anticipation of happiness and joy,” according to the Weird Holiday website listing. While all puppets might not fall into the “happiness and joy” category, there are definitely some fun ones out there, as evidenced by these three car-themed film clips featuring puppets.

Levi’s campaign stars this groovy little glove puppet, Flat Eric, who jams out to some tunes with his human friend while going for a cruise. The ad was meant to highlight Levi’s crease-free attire, but the puppet’s expressive face and endearing actions of decorating the car’s interior are the true focus of the video clip.

German company De Lijn issued the “hier een euro” puppet commercial, which featured a bulbous-headed puppet voicing the driver’s frustration with personal vehicle challenges like having to deal with congested public parking and other drivers stealing the parking spot you were eyeing. Despite his beady eyes and small stature, you can’t deny that this puppet incarnates the stress and angst that all of us have felt, to some degree, when trying to find parking in a crowded urban area. More reasons to opt for public transportation like buses and trains, as De Lijn expressed at the ad’s ending.

Sheldon the Snail

In this short footage, Sheldon the Snail tries to talk himself out of his snail driver inferiority complex. Even if you’re not a snail, this puppet is easy to relate to if you’ve ever felt self-conscious about sharing the road with other (sometimes more intimidating) drivers.